By Your Side
by weirdgirl42
Summary: Fitz wakes up after the finale and he and Simmons have to talk. Simmons realizes it's time to be honest with her best friend. Technically part of the Unfamilarily Perfect series but could be read alone. Pre-Skimmons. Established Philinda.


_Disclaimer: I don't own anything by Marvel._

**By Your Side**

"They don't know that you know?"

"Apparently not."

Fitz had woken from the coma almost a week ago. He'd been in and out for several days, today was the first day he'd been fairly cognizant and after missing nearly three months he was eagerly listening to Simmons explain everything he had missed. All the recon missions looking for loyal agents. All the rebuilding. Pranks that Trip and Skye had pulled on Billy just to watch the protocol-obsessed man get red in the face. Simmons sat next to his bed and just told him everything she could think of, anything to keep his mind off the fact that the morning's cognitive tests hadn't gone as well as either of them had hoped.

Fitz had brain damage. Caused by hypoxic-anoxic injury. The extent wasn't yet clear but it appeared to be mostly anomic aphasia. He was mixing up words and having trouble speaking in complete sentences. He did seem to understand most of what was being said to him, that was a good sign. Simmons was hopeful that further tests would show his comprehension and intelligence had not been affected but right now she was staying away from any scientific or technical talk. If Fitz understood her hesitance, he didn't say anything. He would also require some extensive physical therapy to learn to walk again as part of the damage was to his lower body's motor functions.

"How did…" Fitz squinted and rubbed at his eyes, trying to make the words come more quickly.

"How did I find out?" Simmons guessed.

Fitz nodded, the lines on his forehead smoothing.

"I saw Agent May come out of Coulson's room early one morning. At first I thought something was wrong and she was waking him up but then I saw him lean out of the door at kiss her." Simmons smiled slightly at the memory. "It was really quite sweet. I think Skye knows too. I've seen her watching them."

Fitz smiled. "It's a…a thing that…that isn't…" he couldn't find the word but Simmons waited patiently. "Isn't…bad."

"Yes," Simmons agreed, "it is a good thing. A very good thing."

They sat quietly for a while. Simmons thought Fitz had maybe fallen asleep again and started to get up.

"Jemma?" Fitz said, stopped her movement.

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought you were going back to sleep."

"We have to talk about it. Can't…make like…like it didn't…"

Simmons watched his face get more and more frustrated and she realized there was nothing to gain by pretending she didn't know what he was talking about. "I know Fitz. I know we can't act like it never happened."

Fitz nodded as though he already understood and then turned his head away from her. "You don't love me." It was a statement, not a question.

Simmons took his hand and squeezed tightly. "I love you more than anyone else in this world," she said. "Look at me Fitz." She waited until he finally met her eyes. "More than anyone."

A tear ran down his cheek. "But you're not, I mean, it's the…wrong kind."

"There is no wrong kind of love," Simmons said, "But no, it's not the same kind as you…as what you said."

"Trip?"

Simmons frowned, confused at what seemed like a completely random statement. It wasn't actually uncommon for people with Fitz's injuries and brain damage to confuse words. "I don't understand," she said.

"Trip. You like him?"

Realization dawned on her. "No. It's not because of Agent Triplett." It was time. After everything that had happened, everything they'd been through, it was time to stop being scared. She let go of Fitz's hand, took a deep breath, and stared intently at the floor in front of her chair.

"I'm gay, Fitz."

There was a very long silence, Simmons continued to stare at the floor. After what seemed like hours she felt a hand under her chin lift her face.

"Why didn't you…didn't you…tell!"

Simmons startled a moment when he shouted the last word but then had to smile when she realized he was only yelling out of happiness that he'd figured out which word to use. The smile was quickly gone when she actually processed his question.

"I don't know. I was scared?"

"Of me?"

"You're my best friend in the world," she said, subconsciously repeating the words she'd spoken in that container. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

"Hey," Fitz said, cupping her cheek with his hand. "You never lose me. Doesn't…it doesn't matter."

Simmons covered his hand with her own and squeezed his fingers.

"Who else…you tell?" Fitz asked, dropping his hand from her face but still keeping hold of hers.

"No one," Simmons admitted. "I mean the girls I've been with probably knew but…no one else knows."

"Parents?"

Simmons shook her head.

"Team?"

"I think May suspects but no, I haven't told anyone."

They were quiet for a while, Simmons could see Fitz processing, she would recognize that look on his face anywhere. Eventually he looked over and her and the side of his mouth quirked. "Girls you've…you've been with?"

Simmons felt her face flush and she pulled her hand away from his. "Fitz…"

"Which girls?"

Simmons leaned forward and covered her face with her hands. "You aren't going to let this go are you?"

"Not…not going…anywhere. Can't…legs…remember?"

"Leopold Fitz are you trying to guilt me into revealing past sexual partners?"

This time Fitz grinned outright.

"Well I came in at the wrong point in this conversation," came a voice. Fitz and Simmons looked up to see Skye standing in the doorway. "Or maybe the right part if Simmons is about to tell secrets."

Fitz looked back to Simmons and saw that the girl's face had turned almost beet-red. Realization dawned on him.

"How're you feeling Fitz?" Skye asked, moving to sit on the other side of his bed from Simmons.

"Better," Fitz replied honestly.

"You know I heard May and Trip coming up with PT plans. If I were you I'd stick with Trip. May's my new SO and I think she gets some kind of perverse pleasure out of knocking me to the ground."

Fitz's eyes went wide and he looked between Skye and Simmons who were both smiling.

"Don't worry," Simmons said, "she won't hurt you. Especially since we all know her little secret."

Now it was Skye's turn look between the other two occupants of the room. "Wait, you guys know too? About May and AC?"

Fitz grinned. "Con…confirmation," he said, pounding his knuckles with Simmons.

"Oh you guys suck," Skye said. "I was going to tell you that I finished downloading all of Doctor Who and I have it set up on the giant screen down in Billy's office but forget it."

Fitz and Simmons both protested and it didn't take Skye long to smile and give him. "Is it okay?" she asked Simmons.

"Yes of course," Simmons replied. "We have a wheelchair, it should be fairly simply to get him down there."

"You need help?"

Fitz shot Simmons a panicked look. He didn't want Skye to see him struggle. It was too soon. Simmons understood and turned back to Skye. "We can manage. You get popcorn. And I think Agent Triplett hid some candy above the refrigerator."

"Score!" said Skye as she ran out of the room.

"Thanks," Fitz muttered when she was gone.

"She won't care you know," Simmons said. "None of them think you're weak."

Fitz nodded but said nothing. He let Simmons help him out of bed and into the wheelchair, making sure all the IVs and other wires stayed attached. When she knelt down to cover his legs with a blanket he reached out and took both her hands in his.

"She won't care…you…either you know," he said softly. "Likes you too, reckon."

Simmons didn't meet his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes. Tell," was all he could reply, the rest of the words lost somewhere in his mind.

Simmons sighed and stood up. "I can't do that Fitz. Not after everything with…well everything."

"Have to," Fitz insisted. "After everything."

Simmons said nothing, moving behind him to wheel him out of the room towards Billy's office. He reached up and patted her hand. "Okay," he said. "Okay."

Once outside Billy's office Fitz stopped the chair and struggled to turn towards her again. "Still going to tell about other girls though," he grinned.

Simmons groaned.

**The End**

_Thanks for reading, please review._


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